Florida Panthers captain and top-line center Aleksander Barkov will play in Game 3 of their first-round Stanley Cup playoffs series against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday after missing the end of Game 2 following a late hit away from the puck by Lightning forward Brandon Hagel.

Florida Panthers center Brad Marchand (63) is taken down by Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh (27) and center Conor Geekie (14) during the third period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) AP

The Florida Panthers will try to take a likely insurmountable 3-0 series lead Saturday afternoon when they host the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 3 of their first-round series today, Saturday, April 26.